Jan. 6 Rioter in House Runoff Storms Off Atlanta Debate Stage

(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS) — A Republican U.S. House candidate who served prison time for taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol stormed off the stage Sunday minutes into an Atlanta Press Club debate.

But Chuck Hand didn’t bolt from the 2nd District Congressional debate because he was upset at a question over his role in the riot, which he’s embraced throughout his longshot campaign.

Instead, the pre-planned walkout was a response to a question about a federal farm bill in an effort to attract attention to his June 18 GOP runoff against Wayne Johnson.

“The choice is yours: It’s the dollar versus the change,” Hand said before leaving the set of the midtown Atlanta studio after the first question. “And this is where I get back in the truck and head back to southwest Georgia because I got two races to win.”

Johnson later called it “pure political theater” in an interview.

“He did a tremendous disservice to the voters by not being prepared to man up and stand tall to whatever questions he thought were coming,” said Johnson, a former federal student aid official. “He walked out of his job interview.”

It was the latest flashpoint in a Republican race to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, a 16-term lawmaker whose is heavily favored to win.

Hand, a construction worker and first-time candidate, opened his remarks saying that he’s “not interested in debating the issues of the 2nd District with a man who doesn’t even reside in it, especially one who orchestrates attacks on my wife.” (Johnson said he lives a few hundred yards outside the southwest Georgia district. House candidates aren’t required to live in their districts to run for office.)

Hand said after the debate that his remarks were a reference to a recent press conference that featured Michael Nixon, the third-place finisher in the May primary who endorsed Johnson. Nixon also used the platform to highlight Hand’s wife Mandy’s history of drug charges dating back to 2008, before the two were married.

At the time, Hand called the focus on his wife “disgusting and despicable” and, before he walked off stage, made clear they were still on his mind. Johnson said he had no role in the press conference.

The walkout caught the debate organizers off guard as he stormed off camera. Moderator Donna Lowry asked: “You’re not staying, sir? You’re leaving?”

The camera then panned to Johnson: “Wow, I don’t even know how to react.”

Though both Republicans have little shot of defeating Bishop, Hand’s involvement in the Jan. 6 riot has attracted more statewide and national attention to the contest.

Hand and his wife were arrested in 2022 after closed-caption footage and other evidence led authorities to the Taylor County couple.

The two pleaded guilty in 2022 to a misdemeanor charge of illegally demonstrating in the U.S. Capitol. They were sentenced to 20 days in federal prison and six months of probation. Since then, Hand has been unapologetic about his role as he runs for office.